Research: few children receive a healthy lunch

Only one in 10 school lunch boxes contains food that
meets nutritional guidelines for children, new research has
found. And bad news for parents who do make the effort to
provide healthy food is that the study found 80 per cent of
the food thrown into school rubbish bins is the sandwiches,
fruit and yoghurt children should be eating.

A survey of
more than 900 lunchboxes was carried out by a team of Massey
academics specialising in marketing, health sciences and
human nutrition. Researcher Dr Emma Dresler-Hawke says that
the packed lunch policy at most schools means that the
content of the lunch box is a significant proportion of a
child’s nutritional uptake.

“One lunchbox had no
fruit, no sandwiches, no yoghurt, just three packets
[containing convenience snacks]. We don’t know why, if
it’s because children are making lunch themselves, perhaps
parents aren’t seeing lunches as important?”

The
research was undertaken at six Manawatu primary schools,
covering both the most and least deprived as determined by
the Education Ministry’s decile rating. Dean Whitehead of
the School of Health Sciences and Jane Coad of the Institute
of Food, Nutrition and Human Health joined the project to
work on policy recommendations and nutritional analysis.

Contents of lunchboxes were photographed at the start of
the day to accurately capture contents and to ensure the
children were anonymous. The contents were categorised by
portion size and food group according to guidelines. While
fruit or vegetables were present in 70 per cent of
lunchboxes, only 32 per cent contained the recommended two
servings. Most food found was moderate to high fat, salt and
sugar, with 15 per cent including sweets and 57 per cent
containing potato chips. The typical lunch box contained
three items of junk food.

Dr Dresler-Hawke reported that
there was no significant difference in the lunchbox content
from different decile areas. Sandwiches were most common,
found in 71 per cent of lunchboxes, with 37 per cent
containing dairy items and protein items were found in five
percent. Almost half (44 per cent) of the children had been
given cakes, biscuits or muffins, while 45 per cent had
muesli bars of varying nutritional value. The average lunch
contained a white bread sandwich, a packet of potato chips
and a biscuit or chocolate bar.

Worse news was to come
after lunchtimes, when Dr Dresler-Hawke emptied all the
rubbish bins in the schools to assess what was actually
being thrown away. More than 80 per cent of the unconsumed
items were sandwiches, fruit and dairy products.

“We
collected all the unconsumed food, spread it out – it was
incredible, the amount of healthy food like sandwiches, not
even unwrapped. Good, nutritious fillings including
tomatoes, cucumber and cheese sandwiches. Bananas never
peeled, yoghurt not even opened – a real
waste.”

One class from each year (one to six) was
assessed for the study. A follow-up with one school last
week showed little had changed, Dr Dresler-Hawke says, but
she hoped to be able to assist by developing some policy
recommendations which would provide guidance for parents and
caregivers.

“A question raised here is ‘how do
well-meaning parents ensure the healthy lunch they prepare
does not get thrown into rubbish at school?’. One option
would be a zero-waste policy, whereby parents can monitor
what their children consume.”

Improving nutrition in
children is one of our most pressing public health
challenges, Dr Dresler-Hawke says. She suggests that a
partnership approach is needed, between schools, parents and
children, in order to develop a healthy lunch and overall
food policy, within the school
environment.

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